Bespoke Travel Experiences in Malta: Fashion Presentation by Couturier Luke Azzopardi

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 22 February 2022:  Malta is affirming itself as a tourism destination of choice in the Middle East, and has chosen Expo 2020 Dubai as a launch pad to make the destination known within the Emirates. Following a colourful spectacle to celebrate Malta Day on January 19th on the Malta Pavilion at Expo, the Maltese Tourism Authority is back in Dubai to hold a series of meetings with its tour operator and travel agency partners, as well as launch its marketing campaigns for 2022.

MTA will do this through a series of events throughout the year, marking Malta’s shift to a higher quality tourism offer. There will be a strong emphasis on tailor-made experiences, a focus on its first-class boutique artisan talent, cultural heritage and culinary excellence.

An exclusive, intimate fashion presentation by leading Maltese couturier and fashion historian Luke Azzopardi will be the catalyst to showcase Malta as a bespoke travel destination where the concept of tailor-made experiences and bespoke service, even beyond fashion, will be highlighted.

A private fashion presentation by the Luke Azzopardi studio will be held at the Palace Downtown Hotel in Dubai, on February 24th. A collection which looks at the fashion events in 1960’s Paris by couturiers of the time will showcase contemporary Maltese artisan excellence in jewellery, materials and design.

“We wanted to draw a parallel between high-end haute couture and bespoke luxury travel. Just like a tailor models a garment using the finest of materials and artistic flair, our travel specialists in Malta will know how to enchant you by combining elements together to create handcrafted vacations for the discerning Emirati traveller”, explained Claude Zammit Trevisan, MTA Senior Marketing Manager for the MENA region.

The focus for 2022 and beyond will be on Malta’s capacity to offer a bespoke service to deliver a distinctive hospitality experience for tourists visiting from this region.

“We want to surprise Emirati travellers by showcasing a collection of curated experiences that connect them with unique narratives across the Maltese islands, weaving wellness, sustainable design, bespoke concierge services and community involvement into the guest experience”, he added.

The event will be open by invitation to Malta’s tour operator partners in the UAE, including Dnata, Al Rahlati, Emirates Holidays, Al Rostamani as well as private luxury concierges in the region.

The Mediterranean island archipelago offers a unique cultural heritage. Malta’s innovative tourism strategy for the Middle East will favour private encounters with the islands’ pool of exceptional artists, designers, artisans and craftsmen, offering travellers an insight into the country’s cultural, natural and culinary heritage. This resonates well with the expectations of post-pandemic travellers, where private viewings, and one-to-one sensorial experiences are key.

Emirates offers regular flights to Malta all-year-round, with frequencies going up to daily flights starting 1st July.

About Luke Azzopardi Studio:

The Luke Azzopardi studio focuses on the idea of timeless elegance stemming from the creative director’s academic background in costume history. Luke Azzopardi’s methodology of fusing together powerful visuals, academic research and artisanal design is what distinguishes his work as one of Malta’s foremost fashion artists. This translates into the ethos of the Maison, a self-sustainable atelier embracing concept-based fashion and beauty.

The nature of the brand’s work looks to fashion as an art object. Wearable products are presented as results of investigations into art history, and studio events are designed as immersive cultural experiences. The priority of the brand is to revive the domestic couture salon that does away with the overly commercial trends within the industry, and which prioritises immaculately finished, beautifully designed bespoke clothing.

The offering of the Luke Azzopardi studio has always been curious about the nature of the art object, and how when this interfaces with fashion, it lives through its audience. Its wearable nature generates a participative opportunity for the brand’s audience to be a part of the investigative nature of each collection. This has created a genre which is unique to the studio within the local cultural landscape, and which has positioned the brand at the receiving end of critical acclaim since its inception.

About Malta Tourism Authority:

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) was formally set up by the Malta Travel and Tourism Service Act (1999).  This clearly defines its role – extending it beyond that of international marketing to include a domestic, motivating, directional, co-ordinating and regulatory role. The Act strengthens the public and private partnership in tourism through greater and more direct participation by the private sector in national planning and development of the industry.

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has a diverse role, but one which in essence is all about creating and fostering relationships. The MTA is the tourism industry’s regulator and motivator, its business partner, the country’s brand promoter, and is here to form, maintain and manage meaningful partnerships with all tourism stakeholders. Primarily, this means attracting visitors to the Islands, but also working closely alongside the private sector partners. Importantly, the MTA is also here to help strengthen the industry’s human resources, ensure the highest standards and quality of the Islands’ tourism product, and foster relations with local and international media.

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